China-Africa PPH Pilot Program to launch on June 8

The China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) and the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) have jointly decided to launch the China-Africa Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) Pilot Program on June 8, 2024. This pilot program will run for five years, concluding on June 7, 2029. Once initiated, applicants from both regions can submit PPH requests to CNIPA or ARIPO according to the procedures outlined under the China-Africa PPH Pilot Program. PPH provides a fast-track patent examination route between different countries or regions, accelerating the patent examination process through work-sharing among patent offices. Since the first PPH pilot began in November 2011, CNIPA has established PPH cooperation with patent offices in 32 countries or regions.